U.S. to lift ban on New Yorkers from 'Trusted Traveler' program

In February, the Department of Homeland Security Department (DHS) cut off New York from the program in response to the state's passage last June of a law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses and limiting federal access to license information. New York sued DHS to challenge the decision, saying the policy would prohibit 175,000 New Yorkers whose membership in the program expires this year from re-enrolling, and would "cut off" 80,000 New Yorkers with pending applications.

The U.S. government said on Thursday it will lift a ban on New York residents from its Trusted Traveler Program, which allows participants quicker passage between the United States and either Canada or Mexico. In February, the Department of Homeland Security Department (DHS) cut off New York from the program in response to the state's passage last June of a law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses and limiting federal access to license information.

New York sued DHS to challenge the decision, saying the policy would prohibit 175,000 New Yorkers whose membership in the program expires this year from re-enrolling, and would "cut off" 80,000 New Yorkers with pending applications. In April, the state amended its law that had limited federal immigration authorities from accessing records from the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The change allowed the DMV to share information "as necessary for an individual seeking acceptance into a trusted traveler program, or to facilitate vehicle imports and/or exports."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement he had met with President Donald Trump in February "to address the issue while still protecting the privacy of all New Yorkers.... I am glad that this issue has finally been resolved." The Department of Homeland Security policy had prohibited New Yorkers from joining or renewing participation in so-called Trusted Traveler programs including Global Entry and three others - FAST, NEXUS AND SENTRI.

DHS noted New York is restricting sharing DMV information with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS said it "is currently working with the Department of Justice to determine appropriate legal actions to address these problems."